Lego House
by rubylucasridinghoodmeghanory
Summary: Written for SwanQueen week. AU Blind Date. Post midseason finale. It's half blind date, and half reunion for Emma and Regina. The Queen has spent a long time away from her son and the Savior, and she has finally found her way back home, if only Emma would remember. (cover image not mine)


_I'm out of touch  
__I'm out of love  
__I'll pick you up when you're getting down  
__And out of all these things I've done  
I think I love you better now_

_- Ed Sheeran, Lego House_

* * *

Emma checked her reflection in the mirror for what must have been the thousandth time. She moved her blonde hair back over her shoulder, preferring it there, at least for now. It would be different again soon.

"Mom?" Henry ran into the room. "The TV's doing that thing where it turns black and white again."

Emma rolled her eyes and turned toward her son, and just as she did every time, felt the small jolt that pierced her heart. He was already eleven, growing up so fast. A momentary bout of guilt washed over her as she remembered the day he had been born, how she had almost given him away. Instinctively, she moved towards him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and leading him back into the living room.

"Why are you dressed up?" he asked, his eyes moving over the tight black dress that clung to her skin.

"I'm meeting a friend tonight," Emma answered as she got down on her knees next to the TV. She nearly fell, but Henry caught her arm with a smile. With a small shake of her head, Emma turned away from the smile that reminded her of his father, banging her fist into the bottom of the TV. The screen flickered, and the color flooded back into the screen. "There you go, kid," Emma said with a groan as she stood up.

"Thanks!" Henry jumped onto the couch. "Is Joey coming over?"

"No, I - uh - I thought you could take care of yourself tonight." Emma saw the excitement spark in his eyes, and he sat up straight.

"Really?"

"Really," Emma knelt down in front of him, once again taking more time then usual, "but there are conditions."

"Of course there are," he rolled his eyes.

"Hey," Emma smiled, shoving him lightly. "You are in bed by 11. You do not, under any circumstances, open the door, and you stay away from the porn channels."

Henry laughed but nodded, his eyes still aglow. "Okay, it's a deal," he said, sinking back into the couch cushions.

"Now I need to go finish getting ready. I'm leaving in half an hour."

Emma moved to the door and grabbed her high heels from the shoe rack, slipping them on. She knew she needed the practice; it had been so long since she went on a date, let alone a blind date. If she had a father, he would be lecturing her endlessly right now.

She rose a few inches higher, took one step, and stumbled, her hand catching the wall. Henry turned to laugh at her, his head popping up over the couch.

"You're not meeting a friend," he smiled. "Those are your date shoes."

Emma huffed, brushing the hair from her eyes. Damn that kid and his observational skills.

"Who's the guy?"

"It's - um - it's not really a guy," she scratched the back of her neck. Why did she always have to spill everything to Henry? He didn't need to know about her dating life.

He thought for a moment before muttering, "It's a girl?"

Emma nodded slowly. "Yeah, she's one of Eddy's friends, I guess. I don't know. I just thought I would go for it. When I was younger, I went out with - you know what? Never mind."

Henry shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the TV. "She's probably really cool, then," he said. "Eddy's friends are always really cool."

With an internal sigh of relief, Emma muttered her agreement. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" she asked.

Henry's eyes stayed glued to the screen, but he said with complete sincerity, "Mom, I'm 11. Just tell her to bribe me with candy and comic books, and we'll be best friends. Stop worrying about me, and go so I can watch porn."

Emma wobbled her way towards him and placed a soft kiss in his hair before making her way back to her bedroom.

* * *

Regina knew she shouldn't be here. If the two idiots ever found out, she would be killed on the spot. Hell, even more threatening, she could kill herself for how reckless she was being. Being here was foolish and stupid and absolutely insane, but she couldn't stand the hole in her heart anymore.

She could have stopped herself at any point in this long, tiring process, but she didn't want to. It had all come so easily to her; it was almost instinct. As soon as they had found their way to New York, it had been almost second nature to her to search the Yellow Pages, learn as much as she could about Emma's life, befriend one of Emma's friends, and set up this blind date. She had been confused and startled when Emma had agreed, but that was worn off by her eagerness. She was telling herself that she was just eager to see her son, to get away from Snow, Charming, and their righteous possy of do-gooders; yet she knew there were other reasons lingering there, feelings she had shoved away.

Her legs crossed under the table impatiently. _She would be late_, Regina thought, her heart barely invested in the insult. She glanced at her phone. At least it had only been ten minutes.

But another five minutes passed, then another, and she started panicking. She probably wasn't coming. Regina could sit here for hours, and Emma would never show up. It had been like this in the beginning. Why should the second try be any different? Why had she expected different?

She didn't know why it hurt so much; where it had once filled her heart with anger and her mind with thoughts of revenge, now it only made her heart shatter further and her mind foolishly force her to stay in her place.

Another two minutes, and the door swung open with a bang that startled the overly-composed people eating at their tables. Regina stood immediately, her jaw hanging wide open, making no effort to close it.

It was Emma. Emma Swan. Emma Swan wearing a dress, a dress that seemed to fit her effortlessly. Emma Swan, blonde hair wet and sticking to her shoulders. Emma Swan, searching the faces in the restaurant desperately. Emma Swan, eyes like her mother's, gaze falling on Regina and lingering there. Emma Swan, the most beautiful woman Regina had ever seen, who had driven away with their son in that horrendous yellow Bug as the purple cloud enveloped her. Emma Swan, who Regina had feared she would never seen again. Emma Swan was standing ten feet in front of her. Now nine ... eight ... seven ... six ... five ... four ... three ... two ... one...

"Are you Regina Mills? Please tell me you are," she sighed in exhaustion.

When Regina remained still, her eyes now starting to blur, Emma seemed to assume the worst. "Okay, never mind. Sorry to bother you." She turned away, taking a step towards the door and mumbling under her breath.

And that did it. Regina was not about to let her go again. She cleared her head, wiped underneath her eyes, and called out, "Wait! Emma!" Just like that they were on a first-name basis after so many Miss Swan's and Madam Mayor's. Although to be fair, Emma didn't know about that.

Emma turned sharply, her eyes surprised when Regina said, "It's me."

She looked more hesitant now, and Regina knew she would have to do a little reassuring. "Sorry, I just - Eddy said you were easy on the eyes, but I didn't expect - " _Oh great_, Regina scolded herself, _way to go for the gold, Your Majesty_.

Emma's cheeks turned pink, and Regina gave her a shy smile, still battling the heart attacks and inner lighting strikes. She pulled Emma's chair out for her before once again taking a seat.

"Sorry I'm late," Emma muttered as soon as she sat down. "My car's in the shop, and I had to walk in the rain."

"No, you're not late," Regina said immediately, hating the guilty look that crossed over Emma's features. "I was just early."

Emma laughed quietly, her eyes traveling down the table. "Thanks, but you don't need to cover my ass. I was late like I always am."

Regina returned her laugh. "I think I can live with that. I wish Eddy would have given you my number. I would have picked you up."

"No, it's okay. I've had to walk in worse."

A waiter approached their table almost out of nowhere. If she was being honest, Regina had almost forgotten there was anyone else in the world. "Can I get you ladies anything to drink?" he asked.

"Um..." Emma looked at the menu. "I'm guessing you don't have hot chocolate..." She looked up at him curiously, and Regina fought the expression that was trying to work its way onto her face.

The waiter shook his head, and Emma asked for water. Regina thought for a moment before requesting a bottle of wine.

The waiter smiled and left as Emma lifted her eyebrow playfully. "You're really dreading this, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry...?"

"I know I haven't been out in a while, but I would hope I'm entertaining enough that you don't need a whole bottle of wine."

"Oh!" Regina nodded as she caught on, her mind hurriedly racing to find a comeback, but it had been so much easier before. "I just thought you might want more than water," she shrugged. "You seem to have had plenty of it."

"Oh ha ha," Emma shook her head, running her hand through her sopping wet hair. "Do you mind if I go freshen up?" she asked.

"No, by all means," Regina smiled kindly. "I think the bathroom is down the hall." She pointed to her left and watched Emma depart the scene, doing all she could not to look at her ass.

As soon as she was out of sight, Regina leaned back in her chair and wiped her hands over her eyes. She was in way over her head. This was completely unlike her; since when had talking to Emma been so easy or so entertaining? Regina knew she had to tone down the flirting. There was something so wrong about doing it when Emma didn't know the truth. But she couldn't help it. Everything she had felt since saying goodbye to the Savior had come rushing back to her the moment Emma had stepped in the room.

But she was Regina; she could control herself.

* * *

As soon as Emma entered the bathroom, she pulled out her phone and dialed Henry's emergency phone. It rang three times before he picked up.

"Mom? What are you doing?"

"I'm just checking in."

"Mom, I'm totally fine. I swear."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Did you lock the door?"

"Yes."

"Did you eat yet?"

"No, but we have leftovers, so I don't have to turn on the oven." He sighed impatiently, and Emma knew she deserved it, but that didn't stop her worrying. "Really, mom, I'm okay. How's the date going?"

Emma smiled helplessly, leaning against the bathroom wall. "Great so far. I was late."

"You always are. Now hang up."

"Fine," Emma's grin spread. "I'll see you later."

"Okay mom. Have fun."

"And Henry?" Emma stopped him before he could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Love you too."

Emma heard him hang up on the other end and turned to the hand dryer on the wall, seriously debating using it on her hair.

She sighed and pressed the button, ducking underneath it and feeling a blast of warm air. It was strange how nice it felt after the cold downpour outside, but she felt very out of place, even more than she already had in a restaurant as nice as this. She wondered if this was the type of place Regina normally came to, and if so, what would she say if she found out Emma normally couldn't afford places like this?

She seemed really nice so far. There was definitely something between them, though Emma couldn't explain it. It was something she had felt when her eyes had first found the chocolate brown of Regina's. Something inside of her had stirred, and she could have sworn she remembered standing in the middle of the road with Regina clutching her hand. But she decided it was nothing because what else could it be?

She knew she had to go back out there; she didn't want Regina to think she had ditched her. Emma tousled her hair, trying to make it look more presentable. Her idea had worked, much to her surprise. Her hair was still pretty damp, but it had stopped dripping. With a roll of her eyes, Emma left the bathroom and wobbled her way back down the hall.

Regina was waiting patiently at the table, sipping the wine that had arrived while Emma was gone.

"Okay, I'm significantly less wet now," Emma said as she sat down.

"I'm glad," Regina smiled. "Do you know what you want to eat?"

"What do they have?"

Regina glanced at the menu for a moment. "I'm pretty sure most of this is French, but they do have grilled cheese." Emma could have sworn she saw a glint of something flash in Regina's eyes, but there was no way she could know that grilled cheese was Emma's favorite.

"Do you know what you're getting?"

"Whatever you have," Regina shrugged.

Emma nodded, her eyes surveying the menu curiously. She honestly had no idea what half these words meant.

Regina was watching her, a half-amused, half-guilty look on her face. After a moment, she muttered cautiously, "This isn't your type of thing, is it?"

"What?"

"This," Regina looked around the room. "You don't do this very often, do you?"

Emma stayed quiet, indiscernible noises coming from her throat. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, clearly hoping she hadn't offended Emma. "I just think it's quite boring. I'm used to that, but something tells me you aren't." _Oh_, Emma thought, _that was probably the smoothest recovery I've ever heard_. Regina leaned forward over the table and whispered, "We can get out of here if you want." There was a playful smile across her face, her eyes aglow with adventure, and Emma suddenly wanted nothing more than to go wherever this woman would take her.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked quietly, mimicking her actions so their hands brushed together on the table. Regina's eyes shifted down slowly, seeming to hesitate for a moment; but when she looked back up, the mischievous gaze had reappeared. "Somewhere horrible," she said with a wink that nearly sent Emma to the floor.

"Horrible sounds pretty good right now," Emma replied quietly. _Damn this chick was good_. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and she hardly cared.  
Regina put a 20 on the table and stood up, sliding her arms through the sleeves of her black jacket. Emma copied her, moving towards the door when Regina let her go first. She almost stumbled for a moment, but Regina's hand found her back and steadied her, causing Emma to take a sudden, sharp intake of breath that never escaped as Regina's hand stayed there until they reached the door.

The two women stepped out under the canopy, the rain still pattering heavily above them. Emma almost stepped forward, but Regina's hand slid down to her wrist. "I'll pull the car around," she smiled.

"I can walk," Emma shrugged. "That way we're both wet." She heard the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. Her cheeks turned scarlet, and Regina was staring at the ground, hands shoved in her pockets, trying to hide her smirk.

"Then by all means, Miss Swan," Regina locked Emma's eyes in her gaze again. Emma's heart contracted violently, and Regina's words echoed rapidly in her mind, bouncing off the walls. She felt very light-headed and nearly fell over again, but Regina caught her, concern written all over her face, and one arm wrapped securely around her waist. "Emma?" she asked quietly, her voice filled with worry.

"I'm fine," Emma mumbled, shaking her head as she stood up straight.

"Maybe we should get you home..."

"No," Emma protested, and she bravely slid her hand into Regina's. The other woman looked startled and almost frightened, but she didn't pull away. "I'm having a good time. Really. I'm fine."

Regina nodded slowly, intertwining their fingers after a moment of thought. Emma was surprised at how well their hands fit together, how smooth and long her fingers were. She was pulled forward into the rain, but Emma didn't mind. She just held tightly to Regina's hand, and after half a minute, they reached a black Mercedes. Emma took a minute to be impressed before opening the door and practically jumping into the car. Regina followed her a second later.

"So where do we go from here?" Emma asked.

"I'm not sure," Regina replied as she started the car. "I'm not really familiar with the area. Do you have any ideas?"

Emma smiled. "I have a few. But I - " She stopped as her phone rang abruptly, filling the car with country music. Emma glanced at Regina, but it was Henry. Of course she was going to pick up.

"Hello?" Emma answered, her heart racing, automatically fearing the worst.

"Mom?" Henry's voice was quiet.

"What's up, Henry?" Emma could have sworn Regina stiffened beside her.

"Can you - uh - can you come home now?"

"Is everything okay? Are you hurt?"

"I watched a scary movie," he mumbled.

Emma put her head in her hand, leaning into the window.

"Henry, it's just a movie. You know it's not real."

"I know. I just - please mom?"

Emma glanced at Regina, who was fixating on the front window. "I'll be there in five minutes. Will you make it?"

"I think so."

"All right. See you soon, kid."

Emma ended the call with a frustrated sigh.

"Everything okay?" Regina's voice shook.

"Yeah, it's my - um - my son watched a scary movie."

"Henry," she said blatantly, still staring out of the window.

"Yeah ... look I think I need to get home."

"Of course," she nodded, pulling out of the spot. "Which way?"

Emma directed her back to her apartment, though she could feel the tension in the air. This was it, wasn't it? Regina didn't want to have to deal with a kid.

"Some date, huh," Emma mumbled sarcastically as Regina turned the car off.

"What?" Regina asked, finally turning her head to look at Emma.

"I blew it, didn't I? Telling you I'm a mom is third date material, right?"

Her eyes softened immediately. "No," she insisted gently. "I would love to see you again."

"Really?" Emma asked. "I can't walk in my heels; I'm kind of broke; and I have a son. That doesn't bother you?"

Regina looked confused. "Of course not. Is it supposed to?"

"I don't know," Emma replied bashfully. "It's bothered people before."

All of a sudden, Regina's fingers were under her chin, and she was looking into her eyes again. She didn't say anything, and Emma found herself moving forward slowly. Her hand moved to grip the collar of Regina's jacket and her eyes found Regina's lips. Regina moved forward for a moment too, and Emma could feel her breath on her face. She had barely brushed their lips together when Regina pulled back, her hand over Emma's heart. "You should - um - Henry - he needs you."

"Yeah..." Emma mumbled in disappointment. "So ... is this good night then?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could come in," she said, her voice hesitant.

"Uh ... I don't know. I don't know how bad he is..." It was moments like this when she really wished she had sent Henry to Joey's.

"Of course," Regina mumbled with a smile that was just a little too fake.

Emma couldn't help it. "But if you really want to..."

* * *

Regina had told herself she wouldn't do this. No matter what she did tonight, she had promised she wouldn't do this. But here she was: standing at Emma's door, waiting to meet their son.

Emma turned the key in the door, pushing it open and saying loudly, "Henry? It's me! Don't shoot!" She took a step into the apartment, sliding her heels off and inviting Regina inside.

She took a very nervous step forward and allowed Emma to take off her coat and hang it up, shivering when Emma's fingers touched her shoulders.

"Henry!" Emma called again. She turned to Regina, a look of embarrassment across her face. "I'm sorry. Can you give me a minute?"

Regina nodded. "Take as much time as you need."

She saw the smile split onto Emma's lips, only now realizing how little she had seen it and how much she had missed it.

Regina lingered for a few minutes before stepping further into the surprisingly clean apartment. She saw the pictures that filled the living room: Henry posing with a baseball bat, his batting helmet too big for his head; Henry on his first day of school, his eyes eager and scared; Emma holding baby Henry while he slept. Her heart ached in her chest. She remembered these pictures as if they were own life. And they were. She had given Emma her own memories after all, tweaking them a bit to spare her the hurt feelings.

Regina remembered that baseball game: his first home run. She remembered the hug he gave her before he had entered Mary Margaret's classroom, the tears she had kissed from his cheeks. She remembered the way he slept in her arms, tiny and peaceful. She remembered this night too. If she was correct, and she knew she was, he had been watching The Exorcist.

Now filled with a desire to subdue her own curiosity, Regina crept cautiously down the hallway to where a small streak of light was shining onto the floor through the crack of the open door.

She stopped a few feet away, so her shadow could not be seen, but she could hear their voices.

"I'm sorry I ruined your date," Henry mumbled, the sound of his voice enough to cause Regina to slide down the wall, hand over her mouth, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Don't be sorry, Henry. You are always going to be the most important person in this world to me. You know that, right?"

"I know, but ... I shouldn't have watched that movie."

"No," Emma laughed. "Probably not. You know how you were the first time you saw anything like that."

"I know. I just - I thought I could do it this time. Jake watches scary movies all the time, and he's one year younger than me. I'm older; I'm not supposed to get scared."

This conversation was starting to sound all too familiar to Regina. She could easily fill in the rest by memory.

"Everyone gets scared, Henry. Some people get scared by what's real, and some people gets scared by what's not, and there's nothing wrong with any of it."

"I just want to be brave, mom."

"Henry, you are brave. Everyone knows it. Why do you try so hard to prove yourself?"

"Because I want to be a hero, and heroes have to be brave."

"Well, I don't care what anyone else says. You're my hero," Emma said softly, and Regina mouthed the words along with her.

It was quiet for a while, and Regina walked quietly to the living room, knowing that Emma would stay until he fell asleep. She settled down on the couch, checking her phone. She had a message from Snow, no doubt making sure she wasn't doing exactly what she was doing. But she ignored it, counting down the minutes, knowing precisely how long it took Henry to fall asleep when he was scared.

She did her best to compose herself, but she didn't know what she was thinking. This was much more than she had been prepared to handle. She wished she could see Henry, wrap him in her arms until the world faded away. But she wasn't there yet. Just a little longer. She had waited for so long already. What were a few more days? Apart from a continuation of her self-inflicted torture, of course.

She heard the door close behind her and hurriedly wiped under her eyes, sitting up straight and busying herself on her phone.

Emma walked around her and sat down on the couch. Regina slid her phone back into her purse and turned towards her date. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's asleep. I - " But she faltered upon seeing the expression Regina had done a poor job of hiding. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Regina smiled, the movement causing the last tear that lingered on her eyelid to trickle slowly down her cheek. Emma lifted her hand, holding it cautiously in midair, and then she slid her thumb gently across Regina's cheek.

"Tell me what's wrong," she said, and though it was a command, it was the tone in her voice that let Regina know it was a request.

"I - um - " Regina stared resolutely at her hands, clenched together on her lap. "I had a son once." And there it was, hanging in the air.

That had clearly not been what Emma expected. She shifted in her seat, her eyes going wider for a second, and then they were back to normal and Regina continued.

"He would have been about Henry's age now."

"What happened to him?" Emma asked quietly.

"I had to give him away."

"Why?" Emma's voice was hard, yet quiet, her eyes searching Regina's.

"I had to. I had a job to do, and the woman I - the woman I loved," the last word fell unintentionally from her lips, but Emma was clueless, so it didn't matter, "she couldn't come with me." Regina closed her eyes tightly. "We couldn't be together. If she stayed with me, her and my son would have suffered, so I told her to leave. It's been so long; I'm sure they've forgotten me."

"No one could forget you, Regina," she mumbled softly.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Regina muttered. "I just - I wanted to give them their best chance, even if it wasn't with me."

Emma's hand moved to cover hers, and they finally stopped fidgeting. "I almost gave Henry away too. I can't imagine what my life would be without him. I can't pretend to know what you're feeling, but I almost did." She smiled reassuringly. "Regina, my son talks a lot about princes and princesses and heroes. I try to be someone he can look up to who's actually real, but I don't know. Sometimes, I wish he had a mother like you, a hero."

Regina's hands were shaking as Emma looked at her. She could feel the magic that sparked whenever she felt like this, the magic that Emma gave her, more powerful than any magic she had ever known.

"Regina..." Emma whispered.

God, she loved the sound of her name on Emma's lips. She had heard it only a few times before, but it had never been like this.

"I know you're in the bit of an emotional crisis right now, but if it's okay, could I - "

Regina cut her off, her hands seizing Emma's face, kissing her like she had never kissed anyone before. Magic rose like a fire inside her, and when Emma's hand slid into Regina's hair, fingers squeezing tightly, Regina could hardly hold it back anymore. Her fingertips were warming up as they brushed against the Savior's face gently; her mind was racing as she pictured all those days in her office or the Sheriff's station; her heart was beating so God damn fast she could hear it in her ears, the black spots invisible, even if it was only for these few moments.

Emma pulled back first, taking quick breaths, her hand locked in Regina's hair, and she bent forward and pressed their foreheads together. "I can't - Henry - " she panted.

Regina nodded, silently thanking her for thinking of what she had not. "I - I should go," she whispered.

"I know. It is kind of late..." Emma paused. "I just..."

"Just what?" Regina asked carefully, a small smile playing on her lips as she locked eyes with Emma.

"Just..." Emma leaned in again and pressed their lips together gently one more time. This time it was slow and beautiful, filled with a quiet longing instead of rushed desires. Regina was the one left breathless now, her eyes shut tightly as she gripped Emma's arm, secretly admiring the way it flexed when Emma's fingers moved through her hair.

"Okay," Emma pulled back farther, her cheeks pink and her smile wide. "I - uh - I don't think I can do that again. I mean we hardly know each other."

Regina fell back against the arm of the couch, her hand rising to her hair. "I guess we'll have to fix that as soon as we can then," she laughed, sitting up again.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

"I'm always free," Regina replied eagerly. "But I really should go."

Emma stood up with a smile that was still filled with the tiniest bit of disappointment. "Give me your phone," she demanded.

Regina hesitated, knowing what picture was her background and the alarm that might ensue if Emma saw her son. "Give me yours," Regina rebutted, and Emma raised her eyebrows and tossed it to her while she went to the coat closet to grab Regina's jacket.

Regina typed her number in Emma's contacts and stood up in the regal manner she could never unlearn, walking over to where Emma was standing. She took her coat from Emma's outstretched hands, putting it on in one swift motion as her eyes caught sight of what could only be described as her favorite article of clothing. She reached around Emma and yanked the familiar red leather jacket from the closet. "What's this?" she asked playfully.

"It's - it's nothing. I bought that when I was having a bad day just to feel, I don't know, badass. I haven't worn it since." Her cheeks were scarlet now, and Regina fought the urge to kiss her again. "It's kind of stupid, huh?"

"No, no," Regina protested. "I like it." She bit her lip before asking, "Will you wear it tomorrow? Maybe with a pair of jeans and a tank top? Something simple?"

"Oh, so you don't like this?" Emma gestured to her dress.

"I love it," she smiled. "I just want you to be comfortable; I can only catch you so many times." But Regina knew that wasn't true. She would catch Emma forever.

Emma crossed her arms and nodded with a crooked grin. "Okay, I'll see what I can do for you, Your Highness."

Regina almost fell over, but she kept as much composure as she could. "Your Highness..." She leaned forward, placing her lips on the skin near Emma's ear, whispering seductively, "I could get used to that." She pulled away then, throwing in a wink merely for the pleasure of seeing Emma's stunned expression.

She walked around Emma and opened the door, smiling when the other woman spun just to follow her with her eyes. "Sleep well, Miss Swan," Regina smiled over her shoulder. "Call me when I can stop by."

"I'll get up early," Emma whispered. She didn't know that Regina knew the true gravity of this statement. But she did, and as she closed the door to the beautiful sound of Emma's voice, she knew it was worth whatever wrath she would face from Emma's mother.

"Good night, Regina."


End file.
